Secrets
by Little Goose Girl
Summary: Jayden already has a lot on his mind, the last thing he needed was to have to worry about Antonio and Mia as well. Ch7: Things finally start falling into place. All may not be as it seems, but does that change anything? Complete.
1. Caught Off Guard

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Power Rangers or anything associated with it. Some of the early dialogue is quoted from episode 17 of Power Rangers Samurai.

**Rating: **K

**Summary: **Jayden already has a lot on his mind, the last thing he needed was to have to worry about Antonio and Mia as well. Jayden/Mia, begins from 'Broken Dreams' and dithers off into its own little AU :p

**A/N: **Hi all! First attempt at a Fanfiction in a looooooooooooong time, and first ever Power Rangers Fanfic. I'm from Australia (as such, I apologise for any 'weird' spelling), and we're a bit behind, so I'm constructing this from the little bits and pieces I have seen of the more recent episodes. I love the Jayden/Mia idea, and have spent the last few days obsessing about it (not great when I have assignments and am meant to be studying for exams!). I didn't even contemplate the possibility of Jayden/Mia as a couple until episode 15, but I think we got our first big hint in episode 17 ;-) Enjoy!

**SECRETS**

**Chapter 1: Caught off guard.**

Jayden went through the paces by himself while Emily, Kevin and Mike practised on the dummies. He went through the motions with his kendo stick: step, slash, step, slash, abrupt turn. Begin again. He knew the moves so well by now that he allowed his mind to wander as he went through the repetitive motions. Well, that was not entirely true, his mind wasn't wandering so much as obsessing. No matter what he did, he could not clear the memory of his conversation with Deker from his mind.

_We're both warped. Twisted._

Jayden had been caught off guard with the words. He had never thought he would have anything in common with Deker, but this was a truth he couldn't deny. He thought again of the great secret he kept hidden from his friends. How he despised it. While it must be kept hidden, he could never truly be as close to his team as he wished. There was always a barrier between them. A barrier they noticed, but did not question. A barrier he could not forget.

"Dude," Mike interrupted Jayden's reverie. "Dude, you just stopped. It was like you were a million miles away. You okay?"

"It's nothing," Jayden said without turning to look at Mike, a frown still etched on his face.

Kevin and Emily also expressed their concern, but Jayden turned away. As he did so, he noticed Mia walking out of the house.

"Have you finally decided to join us for practice?" Kevin asked. Emily gave a slight chuckle.

"Oh, no," Mia smiled ruefully. "I told Mentor that I'm cooking dinner tonight."

"Oh, no!" Kevin exclaimed before he could stop himself. Seeing Jayden turn to glare at him, he quickly recovered by saying, "I mean, what's the special occasion?"

"Antonio's been working so hard to program the black box, and I wanna do something special for him," Mia told them conspiratorially. Jayden heard the words and felt like he had been punched in the stomach. Surely not. When did this happen? How did this happen? How did Mia develop feelings for his best friend without Jayden even noticing?

He stormed off into the house as he heard Mia call back to the group, "Hope you're hungry!"

"Bummer for Jayden, man," Mike said. "First Octaroo poisons him, now _this_?"

"Be nice!" Emily scolded him, lightly slapping his shoulder. She had an uneasy suspicion that it wasn't the prospect of Mia's cooking that had upset Jayden. She only hoped she was wrong, she didn't want to see her friend hurt.

* * *

><p>Jayden had no idea what he was going to do when he entered the house. Sulk in his room? Confront Antonio and ask him what was going on, whether he knew? Neither option seemed especially appealing, so Jayden settled for getting himself a glass of water.<p>

As he gulped the liquid down, he turned his frustration on himself. What did it matter if Mia liked Antonio? He should be happy that two of his closest friends had found happiness in each other. The uncertainty he was feeling was surely just apprehension of how it would affect their duty. Mia, he reflected, would remain professional. Antonio, he was not so sure.

Putting the empty glass down on the counter, he walked towards to lounge to see how his friend was getting on with the black box. Antonio was hunched against the table, panting and sweating. Mia was right; he had been working very hard to complete the device. Jayden could not help but appraise Antonio as he watched him without the latter knowing. Jayden had never been concerned about his appearance, but looking at Antonio now, he felt insecure about his looks for the first time in his life. Antonio was certainly much better looking than he was. What's more, Antonio was a lot more fun. And open. The fisherman and Mia both had very open personalities that would suit each other, if Jayden was honest with himself. And at least Antonio did not have a secret to hide.

Frustrated and confused as to why he was comparing himself with Antonio, Jayden headed back outside. He needed to practice. He needed to be ready for the next time he saw Deker. Everything else would have to wait.

**And that's a wrap for chapter one, folks! Sorry it's a bit short, it's just meant to really get the ball rolling ;-)**

**Hope you enjoyed it! Please review so I know how it's going and can improve!**

**All comments are very welcome :-D**

**xxGoose**


	2. A New Outlook

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Power Rangers or anything associated with it.

**Rating: **K

**A/N: **Hi lovely people :-) Thank-you all so much for the reviews and favourites and subscriptions (alerts). You truly are an awesome bunch of people! I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update – I had assignments and exams (it's the end of the school year for universities in Australia). But now I'm free so HOPEFULLY I'll update much more frequently! :-D Enjoy!

**A/N2:** 'Broken Dreams' just aired in Australia today! Yay! Finally catching up :-D There is some reference to the conversation Emily and Mia have in "The Ultimate Duel" here, plus the team meeting, but that hasn't actually been shown in Australia yet. So I just made these conversations up, before anyone jumps down my throat for inaccuracies ;-)

**A/N3: **Sorry about the name change. Just found out there is a singer/band Gossling, so felt obliged to make the change.

**SECRETS**

**Chapter 2: A New Outlook**

The Rangers trooped back to the house a tired, sorry lot. Jayden and Antonio could barely stand, Emily was cradling her arm, and Mike and Kevin just looked wreaked. Mia was possibly in the best shape out of the whole group, but it certainly didn't feel that way for her. She helped Emily to the couch, helped her sit down, but could not bear to meet the Yellow Ranger's eyes. She had failed her.

For so long, Mia had prided herself on her ability to look out for the other Rangers, especially young Emily. But now, through nobody's fault but Mia's, Emily was injured.

She had hesitated. She had foolishly thought there was still some trace of the human Dayu used to be that remained. She was wrong. Even as she had asked the question, she knew she was making the wrong choice. But then Dayu had struck the samurizer from her hand, knocked her to the ground.

Mia saw the end coming as Dayu raised the blade, but with a scream Emily had jumped in the way, parrying the first blow only for Dayu to strike back with great force. Emily had been struck hard enough to unmorph, and now could barely move her arm.

Mia had failed her.

"I'll go get the bandages," Mia murmured to the girl who was like a little sister to her. Rising to her feet, Mia cast a quick glance around the room. She was the only one who had messed up, yet she was the only one who had gotten away without too much harm. The guilt was eating away at her.

Briefly, she met Jayden's eyes. She saw his frown, but could not read the expression. As she passed by Antonio, she gave his shoulder a quick squeeze. She was arrested when he placed his hand on top of hers, giving her a warm, albeit tired, smile. She could not find it in herself to smile back, and yanked her hand away.

As Mia went to find the first aid supplies, she missed the sharp glance Jayden gave her as his eyes darted from her to Antonio and back again.

* * *

><p>Emily was propped up in her bed. She didn't need to be there, but Mia had absolutely insisted. With a certain sense of dread that she would not own up to, Emily was more than half expecting Mia to walk through the door at any moment with some concoction or other masquerading as "food". She waited and waited, but the dreaded moment never came.<p>

Emily got to her feet, being extra careful not to overbalance. She was clumsy at the best of times, but with one arm in a sling, would have to take it easy. She wandered to the kitchen, where she felt sure she would find Mia slaving over a bubbling, smoking pot of something noxious.

Well, she was half right. Mia was in the kitchen. But she wasn't cooking anything. In fact, Emily walked in just in time to see Mia dropping an armful of cookbooks and cooking magazines into the bin.

"Mia, what are you doing?" Emily asked in concern.

"I realised something very important yesterday, Emily," Mia replied in a slow, dull voice. "I can't keep going about things as I used to. There is no room for feelings or emotion as a Samurai Ranger. I know this now. When I saw Dayu's past, I was caught off guard. I felt sorry for her. I hesitated, and you got hurt."

"Mia, that wasn't your fault," Emily started to say, but was cut off abruptly by the Pink Ranger.

"It was my fault, Emily. But I won't let that happen again. From here on out, I am going to be the ultimate professional. As a Samurai Ranger, my only concerns lie with training and beating the Nighloks. That means no more silly dreams, no more feelings—" she breathed a deep, shuddering breath before adding: "and certainly no more cooking."

"But Mia!" Emily protested, stepping forward trying to save the cookbooks from the bin. "Dreaming about the future, being the kindly big sister, cooking for us, looking after us all—that's who you are, Mia, you can't just cut your personality out of your life!"

"Yes, I can," Mia replied, calmly taking back the cookbooks from Emily and placing them once more in the bin. "And I will. I have to. If I am going to be a valuable member of this team, that's what I will do. No one else is going to get hurt because of me."

And with that, Mia gracefully walked out of the kitchen, walking rigidly and with a fire burning in her eyes.

"Mia," Emily whispered sadly, casting a forlorn glance at the discarded cookbooks.

* * *

><p>Twenty-four hours, that was all the time he had been given. Now, it was just a few short hours away. Jayden opened his eyes, breaking his meditative stance, and assumed a fighting pose.<p>

"Hyah!" He brought the kendo stick around over his head and slammed it against the dummy with devastating force.

"Jayden," Antonio said sternly. "Don't you think you should be conserving you energy?"

"Deker is strong," Jayden said simply. "I need to keep training."

"Jayden, think about it. You're not going to be able to grow any stronger between now and facing Deker. The only thing you're going to do is tire yourself out and make things easier for him."

Jayden was about to reply, when another voice interrupted.

"_What?_" Jayden looked back over his shoulder to see Kevin standing about five metres away, eyes wide and mouth open.

"Never mind, Kevin. What did you come here for?"

Kevin ignored the question, walking around quickly to stand before Jayden and Antonio.

"We're going to duel Deker? When did this happen? When are we fighting him?"

"_We_ are not doing anything," Jayden said firmly. "Deker challenged me. I am the only one who will be fighting him today."

Kevin frowned and shook his head. "Why are we fighting him at all? Jayden, you're crazy if you think you're doing this alone."

"Deker sought Jayden out yesterday," Antonio said slowly, looking at Jayden as he spoke. "He challenged him to a duel on the spot, but since Jayden was so beat, agreed to give him 24 hours, but no more."

"I have to fight him alone, that's the understanding. If I don't, he said—"

"I don't _care_ what he said," Kevin's face was scrunched up in anger. "Jayden, you can't fight Deker alone. We can't let you put yourself in danger like that. You know how important you are to the team. You know why we need you."

Jayden felt the old sense of unease crawling up his spine as far as his stomach as he met Kevin's eyes. _If only you knew the truth_.

"I have to do it, Kevin, or he's going to hurt innocent people."

"Leader or not, Jayden, you can't decide this on your own. I'm calling a team meeting." And with that, Kevin turned around on his heel and stomped off. Jayden made a move to follow after him, but had barely opened his mouth when Antonio placed a restraining hand on his arm.

"They need to know, Jayden," Antonio said without blinking. "May as well tell them all at once, make sure they stay out of the way."

* * *

><p>Jayden sat there fuming as Kevin ranted away. He just <em>didn't<em> get it. Deker said he had to do it alone. Jayden knew his duty. First and foremost, he was there to protect people from the Nighloks. That was his one true goal. He would not let anyone be hurt when he had a way to prevent it. He _couldn't_ let anyone be hurt. Especially not for the reasons Kevin was suggesting.

He glanced around the group. Emily and Mike were looking up at Kevin with rapt attention, matching concerned looks on their faces. Antonio was fidgeting and shaking his head beside Jayden, but also nodding his head occasionally. He knew what had happened, he had heard Deker's threat, but that didn't mean he felt comfortable letting Jayden go out there on his own.

In the seat farthest from Jayden, Mia was sitting perfectly still, her head bowed. Jayden wondered if she was even paying attention. At long last, she finally moved, only to speak in a pause in Kevin's monologue.

"I know now that Deker will not be satisfied unless he faces Jayden alone," she said without looking up. "Nighloks are ruthless. Jayden must face him, and he must do it alone."

"Mia, how can you say that?" Kevin implored her.

"I know them better now. And it is his duty."

Jayden frowned at Mia. He agreed with her completely, but it was not at all the type of response he would ever expect from her. Usually, she'd be the one championing for him to stay out of harm's way, to let the team help him. Something had changed in her, but now was not the time to be thinking about it.

The meeting went on a little longer until a frustrated Jayden called it to a halt, walking out to prevent any further argument. He had made up his mind, he knew the stakes, the rest would just have to deal with it.

He had just two hours to face Deker. He was going to train some more. This time, Antonio did not try to stop him. For that, he was grateful. He didn't want to have to explain to his friend that he trained to distract himself from his fear—the fear that this was to be his last day fighting to protect the Earth.

**And there we have it, ladies and gents. Another chapter, up at last! I was stuck for about a week with how to get from Point A to Point B, but have it worked out (a bit) now, so hopefully can get the next chapter up in a few days' time.**

**Have a lovely day!**

**Little Goose**


	3. The Way Things Should Be

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Power Rangers or anything associated with it. Some recognisable dialogue is quoted from Episode 18 – The Ultimate Duel.

**Rating: **K

**A/N: **Once again, thanks to those lovely people who have reviewed :-) You are stars. As before, I'll note that Ultimate Duel has not aired yet in Australia, but I've picked up bits and pieces of info from the internet, so I have a rough idea of what's going on (and some quotes which you'll recognise from the show).

**SECRETS**

**Chapter 3: The Way Things Should Be**

This was it. It was time. Jayden took one more steadying breath. He could do this, and he would do it, because he had to. As he walked past the kitchen and the common area, he quickly scanned the rooms for Mia. She wasn't there. He would have liked to have said something to her before he left, just in case he didn't come back. What it was he wanted to say, though, was beyond him. It was probably just as well she wasn't there so he couldn't embarrass himself.

As he stepped out into the yard, he saw the other five Rangers there. They all offered him encouragement, except Mia. "Do what needs to be done," she said simply. Jayden's brow furrowed as he turned his head away. That was it? They all knew the dangers of this fight, and that was all she had to say to him? He fought back his disappointment, and after a moment, managed to nod his head.

He stepped up to Kevin, giving him two power discs, as well as the leadership, while he was away. The gap sensor alarm sounded, and Kevin led the Rangers away to battle. Jayden could not help himself and turned to watch Mia as she ran passed. She did not even look his way.

Despite his fears, Jayden had never had a second thought about going in to this battle. For as much as he told the others it was about duty, he felt the desperate desire to prove himself. He needed to know that he was worthy of the Red Ranger role. He had to earn his position. If only he could explain it to the others…

* * *

><p>The battle with Deker was the hardest Jayden had ever fought. He had never encountered anyone with the skill of Deker, or who fought with so little regard to their own safety. Deker had a thirst for battle, almost a lust for it. The harder Jayden fought, the greater Deker's enjoyment.<p>

The battle eventually led them up to a cliff. Jayden realised he was cornered. He and Deker were too closely matched, there was no way either one of them could win this with a mere show of skill. Jayden would have to think outside the box.

And in a sudden inspiration, it came to him. It would be desperately dangerous, but it was his only chance of beating Deker. He had no other choice, he was completely exhausted and literally teetering on the edge.

Deker saw his chance, he knew it was time for the duel to end. He and Jayden lunged forward together, but Urumasa was longer than Jayden's sword, and he pierced the Red Ranger through the shoulder.

Deker let out a satisfied laugh as he saw that he had at last laid a damaging blow. He laughed as he saw the Red Ranger's hand weaken, letting the sword slip from its grasp. The laughter died in his throat as Jayden caught the sword in his left hand and slashed first across Deker's body, fatally wounding him, then with a second strike cut Urumasa in half.

As Deker felt his life ebbing away, he congratulated Jayden on the ultimate duel, and the masterful move. He was free at last from his torment. As Deker tumbled over the cliff, Jayden collapsed to the ground, de-morphing. He groaned and clasped his arm, agony shooting all the way through the limb.

"I, I won," he said aloud in disbelief.

"Jayden!" He heard the cry from Emily, and looked up to see the other Rangers racing towards him.

Mia dropped to his side, and he felt his tired heart start to jump around in his chest. He could feel her eyes on him, but could not bring himself to look up. As such, he missed the look of deep concern on her face. Kevin asked if he was alright. "Yeah," was Jayden's unconvincing answer.

"And Deker?" Mia asked after a slight pause. Jayden at last looked at her. He did not recognise this Mia, who cared more about business than about the well-being of her teammates. Jayden had never needed looking after, but had to admit that he almost wanted someone to take care of him after the ordeal he had just been through.

"Is he…?" Mia began, but could not finish the sentence.

Jayden looked away from her. "Gone," he supplied. He heard the others sigh in relief, and saw Mia nodding in grim satisfaction out the corner of his eye.

"Let's get you home," Kevin said gently.

Jayden tried to get to his feet, wincing all the way at the agonising pain in his shoulder. He'd barely rocked forward when he felt an arm snake around his waist. Mia was supporting him, helping him up. He gave her a quick look of gratitude as the others all stepped in to help him along.

It was the first time he had accepted their help.

* * *

><p>As they sat at the table to eat the feast Antonio had prepared, Jayden couldn't help a small smile popping onto his face as Mia took the seat to his right. A quick glance at her face, however, confirmed that she was still the same mysteriously serious Mia from the past few days. While Jayden had been tended to by Mentor Ji, he had not seen much of the others, and still had no clue what had brought about the change in Mia.<p>

All he knew was that it had something to do with Dayu. What, exactly, she had never said, and Emily stoutly refused to tell him, saying it was Mia's business.

As Jayden confessed his secondary motive for fighting Deker at the dinner table, he felt a slight bit of the weight he forever carried on his shoulders lift away. He could not be entirely open with them, but it felt good to admit this partial truth. And as he said the part about being glad that he didn't have to do it alone, he couldn't stop himself from looking at Mia and smiling. His smile broadened when he saw Mia wearing her first smile in days in response to _his_ words.

After the meal was done and the dishes collected by Mike and Emily, Jayden wondered off into the garden in search of Mia. He could not find her anywhere, but eventually doubled back to the training yard and found she was there, and had changed her clothes.

"Training today?" Jayden asked her. "Even Kevin is allowing himself a day off."

"And how about you?" Mia said, almost coldly, as she kicked the imaginary opponent in front of her. "Are you taking the day off?"

"I have no choice," Jayden laughed lightly. Mia just gave him an appraising look and went back to her phantom fight.

"But if you hadn't injured your shoulder, you would be. You never take a day off. That is the sign of a true Samurai. That is what I must become," Mia said determinedly.

"That's not entirely true," Jayden said. "In the past few months, I have had many days off. Mentor Ji taught me the importance of having balance in my life, so I am careful not to overdo the training."

"Yes, well, I have had too long of not being serious enough about my role. I'm trying to balance it out now by committing myself completely to my duty. No more feelings or emotions. No more dreaming or cooking."

"Mia," Jayden stepped in front of her, catching her arm as she made to punch the air. "You can't just give up on feelings and dreams. They're who you are. A samurai is someone of true, strong character. If you lose sight of Mia, you will never reach your full potential as a samurai."

Mia stopped, contemplating what he had said. Realising he was right, she gave a frustrated sigh and slumped down to the ground. Jayden crouched down gently beside her, trying not to overbalance with one arm in a sling. Mia didn't look like she was ready to say anything yet, so Jayden just sat by her, his one good hand on her shoulder.

After several minutes of silence, Mia finally spoke. "Emily was hurt," she said quietly. Jayden looked at her, a frown on his face as he tried to work out what she was getting at. "She was hurt, and it was all my fault. I, I hesitated. I learned something about Dayu, and it made me feel sorry for her. I wouldn't morph. I wouldn't attack her. I tried to sympathise with her. She, she knocked my samurizer away. She was about to finish me off, I had no hope. Then Emily jumped in front of me. She saved me. Then Dayu got her. That's how she injured her arm the other day."

"Mia, that's not your fault," Jayden reasoned, relieved that she was letting him in at last.

"But it is. She only put herself in harm's way to protect me. She shouldn't have needed to do that. If I'd done what I was supposed to—what I was trained to do… But no, I hesitated, and Emily got hurt. I misjudged Dayu, because I felt sorry her, I lost sight of what she really was."

Jayden went to speak again, but Mia shook her head. She wasn't done yet.

"I wasn't prepared to let my soft side, my weakness, hurt anyone in the team again. That was when I decided I needed to fully commit myself to my role, to become the best Samurai Ranger I could possibly be. Jayden, you're far and away the strongest and most disciplined one out of all of us. I tried to be like you. Completely committed to training. No feelings, no dreams. Not wasting my time on cooking. You've given up all those things without a backwards glance. That's what a true Samurai would do."

Jayden was unexpectedly hurt at Mia's words. No feelings? No dreams? Oh, if only she knew the half of it…

"Mia, what happened to Emily was not your fault. Dayu was the one who injured her. If it hadn't been Emily, it would have been you. And it could have been so much worse than just a sore arm."

"You don't get it," Mia sighed, frustrated.

"No, _you _don't get it," Jayden replied, equally frustrated. "Mia, we need you in our team. Don't underestimate your importance in our lives exactly as you are. The way you take care of us all, keep us all in line. Your kindness, your sympathy—Mia, we need it. If that's gone, I can't see that it would be a good thing for the team. Not at all. And you were wrong about me, too."

"What do you mean?" Mia asked slowly.

"You think I don't have feelings? Or dreams? Maybe, before you all got here, that would have been almost true. I had feelings, but learnt to repress them. That all changed when I made friends with all of you." He wanted to say more, but stopped himself. Antonio, always such a good friend, stood in his mind like a roadblock. "As for dreams, I think I've discovered more dreams in the past two or three months than I'd had in my whole life before. And you know what? I've grown since having them. I'm stronger because of them. My dreams, my feelings, they give me purpose."

Mia said nothing, but Jayden could see her brow furrowed in thought. He hoped he'd said the right thing, he hoped she'd understand. They needed the old Mia back. The bright, bubbly, loving Mia.

"Dreams and feelings aren't a bad thing to have," Jayden said lightly, smiling down at her. He was relieved when she smiled back. He felt his heart begin to do it's odd dance again. That was his Mia.

"Mia," he began softly. Mia looked up at him expectantly.

"Mia!" Emily called, bursting into the training yard. "I have something to sho-ow yooou," she said in a singsong voice, beaming brightly.

Mia chuckled. "I think I better go with her." She got to her feet and helped Jayden up. She began walking away, but turned back after about five steps to say. "And Jayden? Thanks for the talk. I think I really needed it."

"Anytime," Jayden smiled. He still had no idea what he had been going to say to Mia, so he couldn't work out why he felt so disappointed.

**My word, there was a lot of talking! Too much talking, for my liking, but there were a lot of things that needed to be sorted out before this story could move forward. But now, at least, it's done. Done, done, done and dusted, so we can move on.**

**Have a lovely day and keep on smiling - and pretty please reply if you have the time!**

**Little Goose**


	4. Paranoia

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Power Rangers or anything associated with it.

**Rating: **K+

**A/N: **Thanks again kindly reviewers :-D Just for the record: even though The Ultimate Duel hasn't aired yet in Australia, I have seen a few random clips that have been posted on Youtube. So technically I'd heard a fair bit of the dialogue in the last chapter, but either:

a) had forgotten it, or  
>b) needed to change it for the sake of my story.<p>

Anywho, this is the chapter where we've officially entered the AU. Enjoy!

**A/N2: **And before you read on, apologies! This chapter was originally meant to take us closer the whole Antonio/Mia and Jayden/Mia issue, but then this random Nighlok attacked the story, and took over, so I've had to bump that stuff further on in the story :-/ Darn Nighloks. I truly hadn't been planning on him.

**SECRETS**

**Chapter 4: Paranoia**

"Ta-dah!" Emily said proudly, spreading her arms out in a lavish sweep.

"My cookbooks!" Mia exclaimed happily. There they all were, spread out on her bed. She thought she had lost them forever. "Emily, how—"

"I saved them from the trash—pulled them out as soon as you left the kitchen the other day. When I saw you talking with Jayden just now, it was like the old, happy Mia was back. So I thought she'd like her cookbooks."

"Thank-you," Mia beamed. "You know, I don't usually use cookbooks, I just make up all my recipes myself."

"Really? I never would have guessed," Mike said sarcastically. Emily shot him a dangerous glare and he didn't open his mouth again.

Mia, thankfully, had missed his point. "I know, they seem professional, don't they? It's just, Antonio said it might be good to try recipes from books for a while, to see if they might inspire some new ideas."

"Antonio's a very clever guy," Kevin whispered to Mike, who still kept his lips firmly sealed. Still, the evidence of a smile was obvious around his eyes and the corners of his mouth.

Just then, the alarm went off signalling a Nighlok attack.

"No rest for the wicked," Mike said wearily, getting to his feet.

* * *

><p>When the Rangers arrived by the river, they could see that something was affecting all the evening riverside diners. Some were writhing on the ground, crying. Others were running, hiding, crouching. The rest were all fighting with each other.<p>

"What's going on here?" Kevin asked.

"What's wrong with all those people?" Emily looked around, feeling helpless. "What's happening to them?"

"Right on cue, Rangers," a ghoulish voice came from behind them. The six Rangers turned around, but could not see anything. "What's the matter, Rangers? Can't get a fix on your fear?" The voice was now coming from their left. Again, they whipped around, but could not see anything.

"We're not afraid of you," Mia said defiantly, looking all around.

"I think you are, Pink Ranger."

"You're just another Nighlok," Mike replied aggressively. "We've defeated your kind before, and we'll defeat you!"

"Show yourself!" Jayden demanded.

"Does it make you nervous, not being able to see me? Good, that's just the way I like it. People's paranoia is what makes me happiest. Your deepest, darkest fears, suspicion—they're my cup of tea!"

"What are you on about?" Mia asked. By now, the Rangers were arranged in a circle, looking out in all directions.

"You, Pink Ranger," the voice began. All of a sudden, Mia was confronted by a monstrous face very close to her own. It was half grey, half black. The black side was facing Mia, and the creature's eyes and mouth looked angry. In an instant, it had spun around to face her with the grey face. They eyes were crazed, the mouth almost laughing. "I know your irrational fear, Pinky. Surrounded by friends, loved. Yet you fear you will end up alone."

Mia had started to reach for her katana, but froze mid-action. The monster had gone. So had the other rangers. How could it be? Everyone had disappeared, even the people by the water's edge.

"Emily?" she called. "Jayden? Antonio?"

No one replied. "Guys? Where are you?"

* * *

><p>"We're right here, Mia!" Emily grasped Mia by the shoulders, shaking her lightly. "Mia, can you hear me?"<p>

* * *

><p>"Where is everyone?" Mia looked around her. They'd all left. "No, they wouldn't have left me behind. They're my friends!"<p>

* * *

><p>"She can't hear us," Kevin said. "Or see us."<p>

"Nighlok! What have you done to her?" Jayden shouted, his mind confused with mixed anger and fear.

"I can see I don't need to work my magic on you," a voice said right in Jayden's ear. He whipped around to see the creature, a little taller than he was. The black face was turned to Jayden. "You're already doing it by yourself."

Jayden slashed his katana through the air, but the creature had already disappeared.

Next, the voice spoke to Mike. "Why are you even here?" it asked. "You're not like the rest of them. You're not strong enough, I'm surprised they haven't kicked you off the team yet."

Before Kevin knew what was happening, Mike had turned on him, striking him with the katana.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Kevin protested, drawing his own blade to protect himself. "Mike, what's gotten in to you?"

"Scared or angry, fear does funny things to humans," the Nighlok said, his voice distant once more. "Lucky for the rest of you, I'm drying up! But I'll be back, and next time, you'll all be like your friends, broken people!" And with an evil laugh and a flash of red by a crack in the footpath, the Nighlok was gone.

"Mia!" Emily cried, running over to her friend. All the Rangers had un-morphed, except for Mike, who was still trying to get at Kevin, despite the Blue Ranger's protests.

Mia was crouched on the ground, crying and rocking herself.

"No," she was saying quietly, over and over again. "No, no, no."

"Mia," Jayden breathed sadly, not sure what to do.

Antonio crouched beside her, stroked her face. "Mia? Mia, it's me. It's Antonio. Can you hear me?"

When Mia didn't respond at all, Antonio stood up. He glanced over at Kevin and Mike. "S'pose I'd better help Kevin out," he said, jogging over to the sparring rangers.

"What will we do?" Emily looked at Jayden, eyes pleading. He shook his head, he had no idea what was happening.

"We have to get them back to Ji, he might know how to help them."

"Oi, Mike!" Antonio called, whipping out his samurizer. "Somebody's getting grouchy," he said. "Time for nigh-nighs." And with that, he texted the symbol for 'sleep' and sent it Mike's way. The green ranger froze mid strike and then fell backwards.

Kevin crouched over Mike as he un-morphed, waving a hand in front of his friend's eyes. "Out like a light," Kevin said, looking over at Antonio, who grimly nodded once.

"Come on," Antonio said. "We have to get them back to the house."

* * *

><p>Back at the Shiba House, Jayden, Emily, Kevin and Antonio were in the sitting room, crowded around the table. Jayden and Emily had helped Mia into her room, while Kevin and Antonio cleared everything except the bed out of Mike's room, and locked him in.<p>

"What's happening to them, Ji?" Emily asked, her voice shaky. "Mia's miserable and can't stop crying."

"And before Antonio knocked him out, Mike was really aggressive," Kevin added. "He attacked me for no reason at all."

"From what Jayden has told me, it sounds like the Nighlok you encountered was Fearanoia. He's a particularly nasty Nighlok that is very difficult to tie down, because he is hardly ever seen."

"That's true," Kevin said. "The only people to see him were Mike and Mia—and look what happened to them!"

"I saw him too," Jayden said quietly, looking at his hands fisted against his knees.

"What?" Kevin and the others turned to look at him. "Then why didn't anything happen to you?"

"I'm not sure," Jayden said. "He just said, 'I don't need to work my magic on you, you're already doing it yourself'." Jayden looked up at Ji. "I'm not sure what he meant."

"Fearanoia creates misery wherever he goes by exploiting people's paranoia," Ji said. "For example, if someone is paranoid that they are being watched, Fearanoia exaggerates this in their mind, making them strike out aggressively at anyone who they think might be the spy."

"That's why all those people were fighting," Emily said. "But what about Mia?"

"There are two common reactions to Fearanoia, depending on what paranoia he's picked up on," Ji continued, putting his manual down. "The first, like I said, is irrational, random violence. The second is fear and sorrow. Did you hear him say what Mia's paranoia was?"

"He said something about her fearing she would end up alone, even though she was surrounded by friends," Antonio said.

"Hmm," Ji mused. "Yes, that is far more likely to result in tears than in punches. Her fear is internalised, a sense of her own shortcomings, whereas Mike's nervousness is in relation to all of you, and is external."

"What can we do to fix them?" Kevin asked.

"I'm not sure," Ji said sadly. "Your best bet would be in defeating Fearanoia."

"How are we meant to do that, when we can't even see him?" Antonio asked.

"And what are we meant to do if he confronts us like he did Mia and Mike?" Emily looked between Jayden and Ji, hoping one of them would have a miracle solution.

"We need to face our fears," Jayden said, looking up at last to meet Emily's eyes. "We all know what we are paranoid about. Mia and Mike must've been trying to deny it, that's the only conclusion I can think of. They knew their fear, but tried to pretend like it didn't exist. I know what my fears are, but I don't try to deny them."

Ji sat down next to Jayden, clasping his hands under his chin thoughtfully. "I think Jayden has given us all plenty to think about," he said after a long silence. "Perhaps you'd best go to bed, get your rest, and think about what it is that you are paranoid about."

"I'm not paranoid about anything," Antonio said defiantly. "Paranoia is irrational."

"We all have something that we know we shouldn't be afraid of that haunts us," Emily said seriously. "Even if it's not too obvious. Just look at Mia and Mike."

"Emily's right," Jayden said, looking at his childhood friend, eyes sparking. He'd never tell the others how close Antonio was to one of his many, many fears. "And no matter how small a fear is, that Fearanoia can exaggerate it until it consumes you."

"Someone should stay with the others," Emily said. "Someone needs to stay with Mia, try to keep her calm, and someone needs to watch Mike's door, make sure he doesn't escape."

"We all need our rest, though," Kevin said, frowning slightly.

"We can work in shifts," Jayden said. "Emily and I will take turns watching over Mia, and Antonio and Kevin can watch Mike."

"Right," Antonio and Kevin nodded.

"Come on," Emily said to Jayden as the two other boys left the room. "Mia needs us."

**And that's it, folks! Well, for this chapter at least. I seriously did not plan for any Nighlok to come into this, but Fearanoia just felt like popping his head in and being a pain, so now, instead of going for my originally planned six chapters, I have no idea how long this story is going to drag out :-/**

**Thanks again for reading, please review if you have the time! I love to hear any comments, criticisms or suggestions any of you may have.**

**xx Little Goose Girl xx**


	5. Confronting Fears

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Power Rangers or anything associated with it.

**Rating: **K+

**A/N: **Hi all! After a long, long absence I am back! In celebration of PRS returning soon (at least, for the US audience—I'm not sure when it returns for us Australians) I've got a new chapter for you all :-D I'm going through a writing phase, so hopefully I'll actually complete this story in the next couple of weeks, yay! At the very least, you'll get chapter 6 in the next day or two. I've had that 90% written since I did chapter 4 all those months ago. It's this chapter here that caused the hold up! Hope you all enjoy!

**SECRETS**

**Chapter 5: Confronting Fears**

Mike was the only one who got any sleep that night. Still knocked out by Antonio's 'sleep' symbol, he rested serenely in his bed. Kevin had set up a chair right next to it, and was keep a wary, weary watch.

What was his fear? He hardly knew. There were so many little things he was anxious about, but what would Fearanoia try to isolate? He clasped his hands together, resting them on his lap as he leaned forward in thought. He was always so anxious to do everything right as a Samurai Ranger. Perhaps he had a fear of failure? That he wouldn't live up to the role assigned to him at birth? Maybe his fear was that he would never achieve his one dream, his sole desire to be a swimmer at the Olympics. He'd been preparing for it his whole life, but then the Nighloks returned and everything else had to be cast aside.

It was a lot to come to terms with. He spent so much time suppressing any uncertainty in his life, he dreaded to think what Fearanoia would be able to do to him.

Meanwhile, Emily sat by Mia's side, comforting the older girl as best she could. She knew Mia could not see, hear or feel her, but she tried her best anyway.

"C'mon Mia," she coaxed. "It's Emily. I'm here. I'm here."

Mia continued to sob and rock herself. Emily's only hope was that Mia would exhaust herself and slip away into a restful slumber. At least someone in this house should be sleeping.

Of all the Samurai Rangers, Emily knew she was probably the best one to deal with Fearanoia. She believed she had excellent self-knowledge, even if Mike said she was wrong sometimes. Or too hard on herself. But unlike the others, she didn't have to search far at all to find her fear. She was confronted with it every day.

She was never supposed to be the Yellow Samurai Ranger. That was her sister's job. Every day, she worried that she wasn't doing the job as well as her sister would have. Every day, she felt like the others were trying to protect her, to shield her. She knew she was still young, but she would have preferred it if they didn't always try to shield her from things.

She was worried that—though she knew they'd never say it—they thought she didn't deserve to be a Samurai Ranger. That she wasn't good enough.

It was as she was having this depressing thought that she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw it belonged to Jayden. He looked like he hadn't had any sleep yet, either. Dark shadows marred the skin under his eyes. His face looked drawn. And for possibly the first time in all the time she'd known him, Emily thought he looked small. A little weak.

What demons had Jayden been wrestling with?

"I'll take over," Jayden said, smiling weakly at her. "You go get some sleep."

"Jayden," Emily began uncertainly.

He smiled a little broader and waved off her concern. "I'm fine. I'd feel better if someone around here other than Mike got some sleep, though."

Emily stood gave up her seat on the edge of the bed to Jayden. "She still doesn't know we're here," Emily told him. "But I found that if I was speaking to her, holding her hand, she seemed a little less distressed. It's like, subconsciously, she knows we're here."

"I'll keep that in mind," Jayden said, smiling kindly. As Emily was heading out the door, he added, "Thank-you, Emily. Really. Thank-you."

"You're welcome," Emily smiled in return, closing the door quietly behind her.

In the hall, she bumped into Antonio as he was going to relieve Kevin of his duties. "Hey Em," Antonio smiled at her. If he hadn't been sleeping, he hid it much better than the others, still looking fresh and alert. The only change she noticed in the fisherman was that he was walking a little slower than usual, but that was probably only because he was setting pace with her.

"Did you get much sleep?" Emily ventured.

"None at all," Antonio replied quite happily. "How's Mia doing?"

"Much the same," Emily said. Antonio frowned and hummed. Clasping his hands behind his back as though in deep contemplation.

The quiet was ruined when they heard a shout and a crash coming from Mike's room. They both ran over to the door. Antonio fumbled in his pockets, realising he didn't have the key.

"Kevin, where's the key?" he called.

"You have it!" came Kevin's startled reply. Mike had awoken, and was trying to get passed Kevin to the window. At one stage in their struggle, their legs became tangled, and they both crashed to the floor—the sound that had alarmed Antonio and Emily.

Now, Kevin had a struggling, flailing Mike pinned to the floor. He didn't know how much longer he could keep him down. "Now would be a great time to use the sleep symbol again!" Kevin called out.

"I can't find the key!" Antonio called out, desperately checking and re-checking all his pockets. "Are you sure you gave it to me?"

"You're the one who locked the door!" Kevin shouted back. Antonio was truly confused. What had he done with the key?

Just then, the key was dangled in front of his face. He looked up, traced the arm holding the key with his eyes, and saw it was Mentor Ji.

"You left this on the table," Ji said matter-of-factly.

"Thanks!" Antonio grabbed the key and fumbled with the lock. Just as he opened the door, Mike got the better of Kevin and came hurling towards them.

Antonio slammed the door shut, dropping the key on the ground and kicking it under the gap in the door just as Mike grabbed him in a headlock.

"Are you alright in there?" Emily asked, only half concerned. Antonio and Kevin would be able to control Mike between them.

"Just golden," Antonio choked out. Mentor Ji and Emily exchanged small smiles as Emily turned to return to her bedroom.

Kevin helped free Antonio from the headlock, pinning Mike's arms to his side as the Light Samurai texted the sleep symbol again. Mike collapsed, becoming a dead weight in Kevin's arms as the Water Samurai dragged him back to the bed.

"I have to learn that power symbol," Kevin said as he drew in deep, exhausted breaths.

Antonio patted him on the shoulder consolingly. "Go get some sleep."

"Hah!" Kevin said. Who, other than Mike, could possibly get any sleep tonight?

The answer lay just a few doors away, where Emily, content she was prepared for the next time they face Fearanoia, had already drifted off into a light sleep.

* * *

><p>Emily was right, Jayden soon discovered. He had been sitting on the floor, against the far wall, thinking, when Mia's sobs became more violent. Her eyes were long since dry, having shed every tear she was capable of shedding. But still the cries came. She was well beyond being dehydrated, but would not take anything to drink, no matter how much the others had tried to coax her. Emily had even held a glass of water to her mouth, but Mia had made no response to the wet sensation on her lips.<p>

Jayden sighed. Getting to his feet, he made his way over to the side of the bed, sitting on the edge as Emily had been before. "Come on, Mia," he gently coaxed her. She made no sign she'd heard him at all. He remembered Emily's instructions, and reached for Mia's hand. As he took her cold, trembling fingers between his own, he noticed her shaking subside slightly.

Emily was right.

"I'm here, Mia," Jayden said softly. "I'm here." Her sobs all but disappeared, but still she wore a look of great sorrow on her face.

"All alone," she whispered. Jayden leaned towards her, straining to make out the words she was saying. "All alone. Again."

What did she mean?

* * *

><p>In the morning, Jayden, Kevin and Antonio stumbled out into the common room. Emily was awake now, and certainly looked the most refreshed of the group. She'd prepared coffee for the others, and was now setting the mugs down on the table, feeling quite proud at the minimal spillage.<p>

"Thanks Emily," Antonio smiled gratefully.

"I don't drink caffeine," Kevin said around a large yawn.

"You'll need it," Jayden replied, sipping from his own mug.

Kevin still looked hesitant, but when the gap sensor went off not a moment later, he quickly sculled the hot liquid down. Jayden was out the door before Ji had even told them where the Nighlok was located, but he knew Antonio would soon catch up to him.

He was right.

"It's the seaside this time," Antonio said as he fell into stride beside Jayden. "Ji's looking after Mike and Mia."

When they got there, the scene was eerily similar to the night before. People fighting. People crying.

"Fearanoia!" Kevin shouted. "Show yourself!"

"Now, now, Samurai Rangers—is that anyway to treat an old friend?" The ghoulish voice returned. The four remaining Samurai stood back-to-back, facing outwards, much as they had done the previous evening.

"Maybe you're scared of us, and that's why you hide!" Emily shouted out to the air.

They heard Fearanoia chuckle. "Everyone fears something, little girl—even Nighloks. But I can assure you I do not fear the Samurai Rangers."

Emily gasped as a face appeared before her. The grey, mocking, horrendous face of the monster facing her.

"Replacement," Fearanoia hissed. "Substitute. You'll never be as good as she would have, you know."

Emily glared at the Nighlok, but otherwise did not react.

"Very good, but acknowleding your fears can only get you so far," the monster said. "You must confront them, draw strength from them as I always do, if you are to compete with me!" Its face turned around, and the darker, angrier face now looked at her. Before a sound had come from its mouth, she swung her katana through the air. She cried out in triumph as she saw her sword connect, but the cry was cut short as she watched in disbelief as the sword passed through Fearanoia, as though the Nighlok was made of air.

"How is that possible?" Emily asked.

Fearanoia chuckled, and disappeared.

"Coward!" Kevin called. "Why don't you tell me what _my_ fear is, then?" Kevin slipped a disc on his sword, preparing to attack with his Dragon Splash.

"I have no interest in you," the voice hissed.

Jayden frowned. What did it mean?

Of course!

"Antonio," Jayden whispered as quietly as he could. "Get to the water as fast as you can, don't let Fearanoia know you're doing it on purpose."

Antonio had no idea what Jayden was thinking, but didn't waste any time.

"I can't stand this!" he shouted. He forced out a scream as he ran to the water's edge. After a moment, he noticed a shadowy figure gliding along behind him. Gliding so fast it would soon be upon him. _You can't catch me_, Antonio thought, smirking. He began to sprint, and sure enough, Fearanoia was left behind.

He ran until he was shin-deep in the water, then turned back to face the others, putting as much fear into his voice as he could muster as he said, "Is it gone?"

"I'm right here, fool!" Fearanoia hissed triumphantly, appearing before Antonio in all its terrifying ghostliness. As soon as its cloak touched the water, the creature took on a more solid appearance.

"Now!" Jayden shouted. As Antonio had run away, Jayden quickly explained to Emily and Kevin what his plan was.

"Spin sword! Dragon Splash!" Kevin shouted. The attack hit Fearanoia square in the back.

As the Nighlok fell screaming in a heap into the ocean, it cried out, "How did you know I feared the water?"

With those words, it exploded. As the second life took over, Antonio returned to the others.

"We don't have Mia's or Mike's Foldingzords," Emily pointed out. "We can't form the Megazord."

"Leave this to me," Antonio said, summoning Clawzord and Octozord. "Water is my speciality."

Emily, Jayden and Kevin watched on as Antonio faced the giant Fearanoia in the Claw Battlezord.

"How did you know about the water?" Emily asked Jayden.

"Fearanoia gave himself away when he was talking to you, Emily," Jayden said, relaxing as he saw Antonio getting the upper hand in the fight. "He said, we had to confront our fears and draw strength from them _as he always did_. Both times he's appeared, it's been near water. I never would have suspected anything, except he refused to go near Kevin—the _Water_ Samurai."

"Of course!" Kevin said, looking at Jayden in admiration.

Meanwhile, it appeared Antonio had worked Fearanoia into a corner. Claw Battlezord had taken on its North appearance, combining with Octozord.

"Octo spear charge!" Antonio shouted.

"I may be gone, but your fears remain!" The Nighlok shrieked as the attack hit it. It collapsed to the ground once more before exploding.

"You're a genius!" Kevin praised Jayden.

Emily smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Come on," Jayden said, embarrassed, as Antonio joined them again. "Let's go check on Mike and Mia."

* * *

><p>Things were back to normal at last, save some embarrassment felt by Mike and Mia. Mike could hardly believe he attacked Kevin, but was rather pleased with the idea it had taken two of them to subdue him—and even then, only with the aid of symbol power.<p>

Mia's shame had been more acute, and the Sky Samurai could hardly bare to face the others.

"Fearanoia exaggerates what you feel," Mia explained, ducking her head to try to hide her rosy cheeks. "I'm not really _that_ worried about being alone. I mean, I live with all of you! If anything, I'm not alone enough!"

The others all laughed, relieved to see the Green and Pink Samurai Rangers were back to normal.

With one less burden to worry about, Jayden made his way out to the training yard. It was a cool, clear night. As he looked up, he saw the sky littered with stars. He sat down on the steps leading from the veranda down to the training yard. Breathing in deeply, he exhaled slowly, trying to release the tension he'd been feeling lately.

Fearanoia had been right. While the Nighlok had been defeated, their fears and uncertainties still remained. Getting rid of Fearanoia didn't solve any of the many problems that were weighing on his conscience. Not by a long way. Not at all.

"Hey."

His head snapped around to look for the source of the voice that interrupted his reverie. Mia. Of course. It was always Mia. She seemed to have a sixth sense for these things. He smiled warmly at her and shifted over so that she could take a seat beside him.

"Emily and Kevin were just telling me and Mike about what you did earlier today," she began, hugging her legs to her chest in an effort to fight off the cold. "That was really clever, Jayden. I'm so glad you figured it out."

Jayden felt embarrassed, so said nothing.

"They also told us that Fearanoia didn't affect you or Emily."

Jayden looked at her sharply, meeting her shining eyes. "That must've taken a lot of strength and courage," she smiled at him.

"Not really," Jayden said, looking down at a particularly interesting rock on the ground. "I'm just used to it."

"Having fears doesn't make you weak," Mia said softly, kindly. "And it doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you. Everyone has fears. It's how you deal with them that counts."

Jayden met Mia's eyes again, smiling appreciatively. It was amazing how often she hit the mark. She always knew exactly what to say, and exactly when to say it.

"Come back inside," she coaxed gently, rising to her feet and offering her hand to help him up. Chuckly softly, he accepted her offer. "Ji just made hot chocolate."

Case in point.

Mia started heading back inside, pausing momentarily to glace back at him over her shoulder and offering him a warm smile.

It was then he knew. Knew beyond any shadow of a doubt that he _liked_ Mia. This was bad. This was beyond bad. It would only end in pain.

For him.

**Gah. What a horrible chapter! Action sequences are not my strong point, and I **_**really**_** hadn't been planning on the Nighlok. It just kinda happened. And then this chapter looked like it was gonna be 5,000 words long, so to avoid that I just had them deal with Fearanoia as quickly as possible. He had to be booted out of my story so that I can get back to my original plan :-p**

**Please review and let me know what you thought!**

**Have a great day,**

**Little Goose**


	6. Truths

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Power Rangers or anything associated with it.

**Rating: **K+

**A/N: **Here it is, mi amigos! Chapter six. FINALLY I am back on track. Only a couple more chapters then this story is finished! Huzzah! Hope you enjoy reading it :-D

**SECRETS**

**Chapter 6: Truths**

He was a samurai, not a spy. And certainly _not_ a ninja. That's what he had to keep reminding himself. Too many times the past few days, Antonio had caught Jayden following him, watching him. Luckily, the Gold Samurai just laughed it off. Jayden comforted himself that, as much as he was embarrassing himself, at least Antonio didn't realise what he was doing.

Little did Jayden know, Antonio knew _exactly_ what Jayden was doing. The fisherman went out of his way make sure Jayden saw every interaction with Mia. When asking the Pink Ranger to pass a plate, he made sure their fingers brushed. When telling her a funny joke he read in the newspaper, he dropped his voice so only she could hear. It was harmless, it was innocent—it was all worth it for Antonio who got to watch his best friend squirm.

It was so obvious, Antonio wondered how she couldn't know. But then, people only see what they want to see. Maybe her interest and attention lay somewhere else.

Nearly a week after defeating Fearanoia, Jayden, Kevin, Mike and Emily were lounging in the common room. Kevin was measuring out the portion for his 11 a.m. snack, while Mike and Emily were playing a card game. Jayden was lost in thought, absently playing with his miniature Lion Foldingzord.

He looked up when he heard a humming Mia walk into the room, a small, content smile on her face.

"Hey guys," Mia said as she plonked herself down on the seat beside Emily. "How are you all going?"

"Much better," Emily smiled. "Just a little bored. Things have been pretty quiet the last few days."

"Just as well," Kevin said sombrely. "We desperately needed the time to rest up, Mike and Mia especially."

"Doesn't change the fact that we're bored," Mike muttered as he contemplated his hand of cards.

"Well, does anyone have anything planned for today?" Mia asked brightly. "Antonio and I were thinking of having a picnic. It might be nice to get out and get some fresh air."

"Uh, Mia," Mike began, grinning. "I'm pretty sure Antonio wouldn't be too happy with you inviting other people on this picnic."

Jayden frowned, not looking away from Mia's face. He couldn't help but agree with Mike, and was waiting for her reaction.

"What do you mean?" Mia asked, confused.

"I think the picnic is a _date_," Mike replied in an exaggerated whisper.

"_What?_" Mia exclaimed, blushing bright red. "No, no, no! Nothing like that. We just thought it would be a good idea to get out of Shiba house for a bit."

"Well, if you're sure…" Emily said slowly, glancing at Jayden. She could see the Red Ranger was trying very hard to keep his face impassive, but his body betrayed him. His hands were clenched into fists on his knees, and his shoulders were rigid.

"I dunno," Kevin said thoughtfully. "I don't think we should go on the picnic. No offense, Mia. We'd love to spend time with you and everything, but I'd hate to put you to the trouble of having to make more food for all of us."

"I don't think Antonio would mind making more food," Mia replied, smiling once more. "He seems to love cooking almost as much as I do. He's probably made too much for the both of us as it is."

"Oh, well if Antonio's cooking, then count me in," Kevin said, brightening up.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mia asked suspiciously.

"Nothing, nothing," Kevin hastily replied. "Just, uh, that if it's Antonio, we always know he makes too much food, so you're going to need my help to make sure nothing goes to waste."

"Smooth cover," Mike whispered sarcastically to Kevin. Luckily for the Blue Ranger, Mia bought it, and was quite cheerful again.

"Are you all going to join us, then? Mike? Jayden? Emily?" Mia asked.

Mike and Emily readily assented, but Jayden hesitated. He truly did want to join the rest, but had growing concerns of what he would see between Antonio and Mia. He wasn't sure how he would react, and so would prefer to delay knowing the truth as long as humanly possible.

"Jayden?" Mia laughed, thinking he'd zoned out again.

"Jayden will come," Antonio informed them, walking in to the room. "So I take it I need to organise a bit more food, then?"

"A _lot_ more food," Mike said.

"_Fantastico_," Antonio beamed. "What better way to spend the day than with my _amigos_?"

"I'll go look for a picnic rug," Mia said. Emily volunteered to help, leaving the men alone in the room.

"This should be fun," Antonio said cheerfully, clapping Jayden around the shoulder in a one-armed hug.

"Hmm," was Jayden's only, gruff reply.

* * *

><p>It was even more awkward and painful than Jayden had anticipated. Mia seemed to find almost everything Antonio said hilarious. Not to mention the fact Antonio always seemed to have a hand on Mia, whether it be resting on her leg, touching her hand or brushing hair out of her face.<p>

They were only out for about two hours, but for Jayden, the picnic seemed to last days. He realised that he _needed_ to know, after all. If only to put him out of his misery. He couldn't seem to get either one alone, though, and so he had to bide his time.

When they got back to Shiba house, he at last got his opportunity. Kevin, Mike, Mia and Emily were outside training, while Antonio was in the common room, enjoying a large glass of orange juice.

"Nice picnic," Jayden said awkwardly, unsure where to begin.

"Very nice," Antonio said airily, taking a long drink from his glass.

"I'm sorry if the rest of us intruded."

"Intruded on what?" Antonio feigned innocence, quirking up an eyebrow.

"You know what."

"What?" Antonio asked with real exasperation. What would it take for Jayden to get to the point?

Silence descended upon the pair. Jayden found the couch to be very fascinating all of a sudden. Antonio continued to drink his juice.

Jayden knew he couldn't beat around the bush anymore. "So," he tried to sound casual, busying himself flicking through Mentor Ji's manual which had been left lying on the table. "How long have you and Mia been dating?"

"_WHAT?"_ Antonio spat out his mouthful of juice over the couch. He'd expected something on the Mia front, but not quite _that_. "I'll clean that later. Jayden, what on Earth makes you think that Mia and I are dating?"

"You don't have to keep it a secret," Jayden said, trying to keep his voice casual, and only half-failing. "I'm sure Ji wouldn't object to the two of you having a relationship."

"Oh, I know that," Antonio replied off-handedly. Jayden looked at him sharply, casting the manual aside. So he had already asked Ji about it, then. "However, I did think _you_ would mind."

"Me?" Jayden couldn't hide his surprise. Surely Antonio didn't know how he felt about Mia—Jayden himself had only realised a few days ago. No, surely it was only his approval as leader of the team that Antonio was referring to. "Why would I object? If my approval was all you are waiting for, then you have it."

"Really?" Antonio asked in disbelief. A sly smile crept over his mouth as he sat down on the cushion next to Jayden. "So you'd have no issue with me going out into the yard right this very moment and asking pretty Miss Mia out on a date?"

"None at all," Jayden said through clenched teeth.

"_Reeeeeally_," Antonio mused in an annoying tone. "No problem with me romancing her?"

"No."

"And if it gets serious, I suppose there'd be a proposal down the line."

"I suppose," Jayden said miserably.

"Then there'd be the wedding… oh, and the kids! Just imagine how cute the little Mia-Antonios would be!"

"Give it a rest," Jayden said with a disdainful sigh, shoving Antonio away as he got to his feet. "You don't have to make everything into a joke. Just, in future, be honest, okay?" Jayden said.

"Honesty is a two-way street, _amigo_," Antonio replied, his grin broadening.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jayden asked warily.

"I'll be honest about the status of my 'relationship' with Mia when you're honest about your feelings for her."

Jayden was shocked into silence, and felt his face flush. He took a few moments to compose himself, by saying in what he hoped was a cool tone, "I have no idea what you're talking about. I don't have 'feelings' for Mia."

Antonio let out a frustrated sigh. He got to his feet, patted Jayden on the shoulder, and said, "Mia and I are dating."

With that the Gold Ranger left the sitting room, frustrated at his best friend's stubbornness. Jayden, on the other hand, almost felt like crying. Of course, he wouldn't, but he was sorely tempted. They _were_ going out, after all. Mia would never feel about him the way he felt about her.

Not that she would have, regardless of Antonio's presence in the house, but it still hurt to have it confirmed. While nothing was concrete, he could still delude himself. But now, out of respect for friends, and because of 'reality', he had to face the facts. Mia would never be interested in him.

**Poor Jayden! I do like to torture him so. He's really setting himself up for it, what with the big secret and everything. Don't despair, Red Ranger—there's hope for you yet!**

**You know the drill—if you could review on your way out, it would be **_**muy**_** appreciated! :-D**

**Little Goose**


	7. Revelations

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Power Rangers or anything associated with it.

**Rating: **K+

**A/N: **Okay, an amendment. This is, in fact, the _last_ chapter for Secrets. I am a tad bit sad. However, there _will_ be a sequel! Once Jayden's secret has been revealed on the show :-p At this stage, I don't know if it's going to be exactly the same as the secret in Samurai Sentai Shinkenger (which is the show Power Rangers Samurai is based off), but just in case it is, I won't risk spoiling it for people. So, sorry for the lack of satisfactory conclusion to this! Hope it is still alright! :-D

**SECRETS**

**Chapter 7: Revelations**

It was a good thing for Jayden he had training and Nighloks to focus on. He'd never really known any girls before Mia and Emily moved in, so he'd never had this problem in the past. And he was hardly going to go to Ji and ask for advice—he knew Ji would just scold him for not being one hundred per cent focused on their mission.

Ji would be right, of course. Jayden's brain knew that. His feelings, however, were not in harmony with that thought. This frustrated him no end. Like he didn't already have enough to worry about! Keeping his feelings about Mia hidden would just be another item on an increasing list of secrets he was keeping from his teammates.

He remembered now why he'd tried so hard to distance himself from them in the first place.

It'd been a week since Antonio told Jayden he was dating Mia. One of the longest weeks in Jayden's entire life. Just thinking about it made Jayden feel ill and uncomfortable. No. He couldn't keep going like this. Mia and Antonio were dating. Big deal. He couldn't afford to think about it anymore. He had a job. A duty. That would be all he thought about from here on out.

Desperately needing a glass of water, he made his way to the kitchen and had to work hard to stifle a groan. Of course. Just as he decides to clear his mind of her, he'd find Mia in the kitchen, baking a … well, to be honest, he wasn't quite sure what it was.

"Hi Jayden," she said cheerfully as he cautiously entered the room.

"Hey Mia," he said slowly. "What are you making?"

"My special cupcakes," Mia said cheerfully. "They're my own secret recipe. Here, would you like try the icing and tell me what you think?"

_No_! The voice in his head that called itself 'Common Sense' screamed. Trouble was, Mia was smiling _that_ smile. So innocent, so eager. So deluded as to how terrible her cooking truly was. So the voice known as 'Foolish, Lovesick Jayden' took over, encouraging: _What's the worst that could happen?_

He took the proffered tea spoon of icing. Steeling himself, he shoved it into his mouth and swallowed quickly. Not quickly enough. A foul-tasting, burning sensation filled his mouth and throat. He battled hard against his natural reflex to gag, and plastered a weak smile on his face.

"Well?" Mia encouraged.

"Delicious," he lied, trying hard to keep the horrible concoction down.

"Excellent. Did you like the pink colouring? It took me ages to get the perfect shade. I call these cupcakes 'Mia's Lovehearts'. It also took me ages to get cupcakes into heart shapes. There are no novelty cupcake trays in this house."

Jayden did not ask what she'd put in to get 'the perfect shade'. And, taking one look at the cupcakes themselves, did not say anything about the complete lack of resemblance to anything heart-like.

Why she'd even thought to attempt pink icing heart-shaped cupcakes in the first place bemused him. Until it all clicked.

Of course.

"So," Jayden began, trying to sound casual. "Are these part of the plan for your next big date with Antonio?"

"Date with Antonio?" Mia asked, confused. She added some more water to the icing—which was fast turning rock hard—so she could spread it on the small cakes. "Why would I date Antonio?"

"Because… he's your boyfriend?" Jayden replied, matching Mia's confused tone.

"Since when?" Mia laughed, genuinely amused by the news. She didn't face Jayden as she was busy icing her creations.

"You don't have to keep it a secret anymore, Antonio told me."

"Wow," Mia replied in a mock impressed tone. "That Antonio is _fantastico _at keeping a secret. He's so good even _I_ didn't know I was dating him."

"Mia," Jayden began uncertainly. "Are you saying you _don't_ have any feelings for Antonio?"

"None at all," Mia answered honestly. "Why? Does he like me?" Mia perceptibly brightened at this idea, abandoning the cupcakes for a moment.

"I honestly don't know," Jayden's head was starting to spin. What was going on?

"I can't say I ever thought about Antonio in that way. I just don't like him like that, but if he liked me—I'm sure I could learn to like him," Mia said optimistically.

If Mia _wasn't _going out with Antonio, the last thing Jayden wanted to be doing was giving her ideas. He excused himself, and went out into the garden for some fresh air. He'd been wandering for barely two minutes before he stumbled upon Antonio, sitting on one of the benches playing with the Octozord.

"Jayden! What a pleasant surprise!" Antonio greeted him brightly.

"We need to talk," Jayden said bluntly.

"About what, amigo?"

"About your 'pretty little lady'," Jayden replied.

"Ah," Antonio gave him a knowing smile. "_That_ talk. I must admit, I was expecting this a few days ago. _Hoping_ for it a week ago, but expecting it a few days ago."

"You said you two were dating," Jayden got straight to the point, having no idea what Antonio was rambling on about.

"Indeed," Antonio smiled.

"You were lying," Jayden said, half stating, half questioning. Hoping all the while.

"Indeed," Antonio beamed, replying in an even more exaggeratedly cheerful tone.

Jayden didn't know what to say. He was honestly flabbergasted. After a moment to collect his thoughts, he said, "Why would you _do_ something like that?"

"I told you honesty was a two-way street," Antonio replied quite happily. "You lie, I lie. That's how I play it."

"I didn't lie," Jayden said.

"Yes, you did."

"No, I didn't."

"_Yes_, you did."

"_No_, I didn't."

"Yes, _you did_. And before you say 'No, I didn't', let me remind you: I said I'd be honest about my relationship with Mia when you were honest about your feelings for her. You said you didn't have any feelings for her, so I said I was dating her. We both lied. Solidarity, brother."

Jayden looked away from Antonio, trying to sort out the jumble of thoughts running through his head. Antonio and Mia _weren't_ seeing each other. Mia didn't have feelings for Antonio. The weight Jayden carried on his shoulders felt lighter than it had in weeks, and hope burned in his heart.

"Plus, I had an ulterior motive," Antonio said mysteriously. "I just love to watch you squirm. Man, if I had a video camera… I'd_ love_ for you to see what you looked like whenever I touched Mia's hand or whispered to her. It was golden."

"You're sick, you know that?" Jayden asked, laughing. A fair bit of his old humour had returned, now that he knew the truth.

"Yeah, well, you desperately needed a wake-up call. Plus, it was kinda fun pretending to be Mia's boyfriend—without her knowing, of course. We made a pretty good-looking couple, don't you think?"

Jayden just shook his head and laughed. He'd never for the life of him answer that question honestly. He sat down beside Antonio, punching him lightly in the arm.

"Of course," Antonio replied, testing the water. "I think she'd look much better next to someone slightly taller than me. Bluer eyes. Blonder hair. You know, for aesthetics' sake."

"How long have you known?" Jayden stolidly ignored Antonio's subtle-as-a-sledgehammer hints. It would do no good to assume Mia would ever go out with him, just because she wasn't seeing Antonio. Nothing had changed on that front.

"That you held a torch for our darling Pink Ranger? Since about the first day I came here," Antonio replied, stroking his chin in thought.

"Oh," was all Jayden could muster. He hadn't known it himself back then, but in hindsight, he knew it to be true. He scuffed his shoe in the grass in embarrassment.

"Well, truth be told, I only _suspected_ on the first day, but I think I _knew_ after a week," Antonio amended.

Jayden felt his cheeks grow warm. Had it really been _that_ obvious for that long? How could he not have known it himself.

_You were too focused on trying to keep your secret hidden from them_, that old enemy of his, Common Sense, supplied. _How could you think about anything else when you had that weighing on your conscience?_

And it was then that it hit him. It made no difference whether Mia and Antonio were dating or not. It made no difference whether he liked her, or she liked him. They could never be together while he had to keep things hidden from her.

Once she knew the truth, she'd never want to be with him. She probably wouldn't even want to stay friends with him. None of them would.

Antonio noticed with alarm how quickly Jayden's whole demeanour changed. Laughing, embarrassed—very _Jayden_-like one moment. Then the next, this. Antonio could barely recognise his childhood friend. His expression was dark; eyes shadowed, head bowed. What had happened?

"Uh, Jayden?" Antonio asked nervously. "Jayden? You there?"

Jayden got to his feet, dark expression still in place. Why? Why couldn't his life just be normal? Just for once?

"Jayden?" Antonio also got to his feet, matching Jayden.

"Excuse me," Jayden said quietly, roughly.

Antonio looked after his friend's retreating back in complete bewilderment. What on Earth had just happened?

* * *

><p>"Jayden!" Mia called cheerfully as she caught a glimpse of him stalking past the kitchen door.<p>

He hesitated, but turned back. He stuck his head around the door, and saw that she'd finished decorating the 'cupcakes'. Seeing her bright smile and eager expression, he felt the ice around his heart begin to melt. It was hard for _any_ of the Samurai Rangers to stay upset when Mia was around.

"They're finished! Do you want to try one?"

_No_, Jayden thought, honestly. Yet somehow he found his feet carrying him into the kitchen regardless. "What flavour are these?" he asked.

"It's a surprise," Mia said cheerfully. "You'll know once you try. It'll be obvious."

So, against his better judgement, Jayden found himself with a mess that was apparently a heart-shaped cupcake in his hand. He lifted the cupcake to his mouth, bracing himself. He took a bite, again swallowing as quickly as he could, hoping to expose his tastebuds to it for as short a while as possible.

"Well? Do you know what it is?"

Somehow, Jayden didn't think the answer 'poison?' would be received too well. After masterfully passing off his dry retch as an exclamation of delight, he thought hard. It was pink. There was a lot of pink.

"Strawberry?" he guessed, taking a stab in the dark.

"Yes!" Mia exclaimed happily. "That's the main flavour. But I spiced it up with some oregano, chilli powder and nutmeg, to name a few things."

"Really?" Jayden smiled, feeling quite proud of how good he was becoming at handling Mia's cooking, while also fighting off the desire to bring the mouthful of cupcake back up.

"I'm glad you liked it," Mia said. Jayden noticed a slight pink blush had sprung to her cheeks. He wondered if it was only pleasure from his compliments about her cooking. Mia was the nicest person he knew. Not to mention the most understanding. Maybe she'd understand when the secret was revealed. Maybe she'd forgive him from keeping it from her, from them all, for so long. Maybe there was still a chance.

_Oh no_, he thought. _Here we go again_.

**And that is le end for Secrets! Thanks for reading along :-D And double thanks to all those lovely people who have taken the time to review.**

**Like I said in my author's note, there will be a sequel. However, that will probably be a fair bit away. But it will happen ;-)**

**Until then, GO GO SAMURAI!**

**Little Goose**


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